Without Wings and Blood
by Septentrion Euchoreutes
Summary: A trainer and his dragon moemon finds that their journey has a few more roadblocks than they expect.


**Gijinka Appearnce: The moemon are like mostly like humans with slight changes to be like pokemon. There are not radical changes like extra legs.**

I waited as I sat next to my _de jure_ servant Ariana, an immense and muscular dragon woman, who was not eating while talking to a flaaffy, or maybe ampharos, man about mega evolution, although she was using the archaic term draconic evolution. Pewter City's clock tower was looming over the potlatch showing seven minutes until two-ten although the gym was only a few buildings from it. Her blouse let the sun hit much of her shoulders and back. The collar, as well as the seams, was made of a strong blue material so it could work well in battle.

"Ariana, we're going to miss our gym battle again," I said. While this what our second gym, this would be the first gym she had to solo, and she had no clear advantage as her ice attacks were rather underdeveloped.

"I'm not done eating. I"m a growing woman," she replied. She was taller than all the adult women at the table including some from exotic species, but a 23 year old shelgon still _might_ have growing to do. She was massive enough that nothing more than a full body push from me would move her from a resting state.

There was her pokeball, but I haven't had to resort to that yet. She is a bright woman, so she should have realized long ago that we're on the same boat. By strict law, I had more rights. By ability and life expectancy, I didn't even compare to her. In the end, we could be equal if we both tried, despite all the things the world measured up against us. "You even haven't touch your plate in ten minutes," I said.

Ariana continued talking to the man, who had been looking progressively less interested. There was quite a lot to talk about mega-evolution. Of course, much of the pool of discussion is what we don't know yet. She was deep into the pool with into long-reaching speculation. "Maybe electronics might help, well- in your case, the static would prevent that. There's also radio waves, but they say it may cause cancer. I think maybe if the just find the right frequencies." The blonde man actually recoiled from Ariana mentioning radio wave. Radiation has been in the news a lot.

With a slightly smaller distance on the clock, I tried again. "I would prefer not to have to run."

The trainer across me interjected. "You're not even in a dragon clan," he said. "Just order her to go with you."

The draconic red head leaned forward and put her fist on the table hard. "Don't talk to my human like that." The trainer didn't look intimidated. Had she actually hit out of anger, the table would have at least shook. Flustered, she grabbed my shoulder. "Brian, let's go," she finished. We got up and headed out to the gym.

Ariana has been acting all strange since our other member left before the gym fight. While I'm sure Ariana could solo the fight, Ariana doesn't see it the same way when it comes to the onix. We walked together across the town square. Eventually, we right the eight foot high doors of the gym.

"After you," I said. "You are the one running this show."

It was clear what the doors represented to her. Clan tradition dictates that she lead, but she has had trouble being a traditional dragon before. She stood a few second before the door before walking forward. However, the doors swung open right before she reached them and an even taller dragon woman stood before her.

Stella the dragonair looked down at the shelgon. Dragonairs are the tallest pre-evolution in the world, barely beating out onix on average. They don't get any taller as dragonites though. I think Stella might have even reached seven foot six. She looked please, either because of the badge on her chest, or because of the accommodating architecture of the gym. Some people think they are generally very attractive, but others just think they look lanky and weird. I grew up seeing enough of them, for better or worse.

Ariana was annoyed at the dragoniar's bosom, not because of the volume which wasn't special when it came to dragon women, but because it's height was above Ariana's head height. Bagons grown more outward than up compared to dratinis when they evolve. The final forms as more similar in most ways: height, weight, flying, although salmences tended to be slightly shorter. Dragonairs have a reputation for being vain, although I didn't know Stella that well to make a judgement.

Stella's trainer, a clan member named Martin, and a seadra followed. Yes, I would say that she was evolved, even though she was younger than Fiona. They couldn't have had a hard time getting that badge.

"Hi, Miss Stella," Ariana said.

"Ah lady…" Stella paused. "-Ariana?" Ariana nodded.

"Ma'am. Brian." Martin said. "Where's Fiona? I hope she's a seadra by now. Speaking of seadea, this lady here is Diana Rehsa."

"Fiona is a seadra," I said. "She decided that she needed more time to get ready for the Aspirant's Ball."

"So, she left you as soon as it was convenient?" Stella said. "I always knew she was a brat."

"Ma'am, did the battle go well? Which you took out Oraxia?," I asked before realizing she wouldn't be scheduled for two fights in a row. "Wait, you were right before us so you got to face a different team. Is this your third badge?"

"Yeah, I just came into town this morning. The appointment needed to be set up by mail because of the ball."

"Well, I took care of the onix of that team." Stella said. She grab the bottom of her shirt and pull it up a bit to show a rather large bruise with some dried up blood. "It could have gone better. Miss Rehsa took care of the others. We didn't bring our fourth member because he's an inexperienced fire user."

"Isn't it a bit early to have that many in your team?" I asked.

Martin responded, "It's Celedon's rules, not Blackthorn's. Everyone in Kanto and coastal Johto are going to have some rotation. Having only four justs means that everyone is going to play you into a corner."

Stella nod and continued. "I believe Aroyan and that human Josephine plan on having only four, but most so-called clan teams aren't going by tradition. This is the first globally broadcasted league tournament so it's pretty important that Blackthorn shows as much strength as possible. A lot of people are under the impression that we lost a war or something because of the armistice." So Aroyan was the name of that latios.

Martin grabbed Stella's hand and put in some final words. "Yeah, don't worry too much about appleasing of the geriarchs. We're all on the same side. If you win this, the governor and elders would go as far as retroactively annexing Indigo Village. 'Introducing: Champion Brian from Always East Blackthorn City!'" They walked away in good spirits. I couldn't help but think how much of a better position they were in. Maybe this is what Ariana was feeling all day.

"Good luck you two!" Stella shouted.

We walked into the gym's door, and the equally tall door of the arena was less than two meters away. Most gyms had a dedicated room before the arena, but I heard that there was always weird little things about every gym.

Ariana was frowning and her knees locked up. Maybe if I hold her hand, she'll feel better. She might be insulted, or she might squeeze it with bone breaking strength. She needed to feel better and she really should for the fight. I brushed my hand lightly against hers and she grab my hand. She didn't smile though. Our fingers were linked and she wasn't about to let me go.

I stepped forward and turn the pushed the heavy door forward. And Ariana followed through.

"No!" She ran back before the door could close and went outside.

"Ariana, come back!" I ran after her until the reach the outside door. "Damn it." I had to savage this. I need to find a trainer or employee fast.

* * *

It was about an half an hour until I sort everything out, including finding my only moemon. She was sitting ten or so meters from a river in porous sunlight. The dragon turn turned to me when she heard me. "We're poor again, aren't were?" she asked.

"Well objectively speaking we-"

"How poor are we?"

I sighed. "Next five days, we have to cut back on expenses." I sat down next to her. "Then we have our gym fight."

"So, I'll have to sleep in my pokeball."

"Nooo, i'm sure I can-"

"I don't want to catch you sleeping on the floor again," Ariana said with intent in her voice. She pulled me into her. "Your body is frail, but I wish I could be be as strong as you."

"Ariana. You evolved at 17, which is young for a dragon. You've been through a lot more than me." I was hugging her, but she started crying.

"I only fought for survival. I'm a coward who'll never be a salamence."

"No, not fighting would have been for survival. You fought for a better life free from your oppressors. That takes bravery. All I've done is stand near the action observing a highly regulated sport."

"I almost believed you would have fought the opponents I had to face if it weren't for the rules. Even though you can't use magic, or take a blow."

"They won't attack me. It's also my fault that you have to bare this fight by yourself."

"I should know that it's not that dangerous. I'm supposed to be the strong one. I'm older, I'm your assigned guardian… and I suppose I shouldn't bring this up, but I'm supposed to be the superior species." The clans had a history, which while not as bad as current day Kanto, wasn't something worth praising. Of course, the common and in-effect law wasn't something Ariana and I ever planned to get between us, I let the dictates of the Blackthorn pseudo-government defined the relation more than it should. It seemed like a good idea at the time when they introduced him to her.

"Hey, they aren't like that anymore." I said.

"Do you think people just change? It wasn't that long ago and they kept as much of that system as they could." She seemed to stop crying. I know that wasn't a sign that her trouble was over, because it wasn't over with me.

I went behind her to sit and put my back to hers. If I needed to be here all day, then this position would be the easiest on us. "Maybe, you're right. I may have been child then, but I think they have a good thing going now. Even if it's not by design."

"Do you think they know what they were doing with us, or did they just want us gone?"

I relaxed as much as I could. "We match, however arbitrary it seems. Even now, I feel that feeling beneath your skin. I know mega-evolution is possible between us, and that you will be one of the strongest beings to exist on this planet. This is what the clans are objectively good at. We were compatible in exactly the one way they care about, so it's a matter of waiting until you get your wings."

"But…" Ariana stuttered. "We are compatible in more than just that way. You're irreplaceable to me. Even if I never evolve again, you're my only friend."

"Yes, I know we belong together. It does seems at times the world might be too much, but never when I'm with you. You were right to be suspicious of the elders, but you trusted me. Together, we actually mean nothing to those elders, but we mean everything to each other. A refugee and atavist with no extended family. It's actually painfully obvious in hindsight. Assuming we aren't' just some fluke, the next possible match in our clan would be at your grandchildren. I knew the limitation of heredity and mega-evolution. Still, it's a good deal. I get my whole life with you; so it's the best thing to happen to me."

"I think now, I can believe in a future where I'm not afraid. Even when I escaped Sinjoh, I never stopped being afraid."

"And I'll hope you get to that future, so could just stay will me?" I asked. "We need each other and it was hard when you left me alone."

"If you still stay with me, I'll do the same. I just need to be a bit stronger than I was today."

 **This was originally planned as a start of a lower-tech moemon journeyfic. There wasn't enough content and ideas that could carry it through.**


End file.
